We are the 5th place champions, weeeee are the 5th place champions....

(sung to Queen's "We Are the Champions')

Many have tried, but few can achieve success in such a physically and mentally demanding sport. I have tried. And, well, I came in fifth.

A couple of weeks back, we ventured out to the Camden Snow Bowl for the 17th annual Toboggan Nationals. My team from previous years had been disbanded due to a series of doping accusations (I’m not allowed to talk about it because of the gag order), so this year I was looking for a new team. I found it in ‘Going Downhill Faster’. While the title seems logical for the sport, it’s actually a reference to the age of the participants rather than the sport in which they compete.

After two grueling days of preparation and competition, we ended up placing fifth overall (tied with a couple other teams) in the four-person event, out of about 100 entries or so. This was disappointing, given that we were in the hunt for the title up until our final run of the competition. It was a tight group at the top, with only .05 seconds separating us from the joy of hoisting a trophy with a miniature toboggan on it, a night of wild partying, and having women draped all over us like we were rock stars.

But, alas, it wasn’t meant to be. All I can do now is start my training for next year, and turn my disappointment of this year’s results into motivation for 2008, and to be the fastest man to sit on a wooden sled with my legs wrapped around other guys, most of whom are already half in the bag. It’s the dream of many, the reality of only a few.





This is how I train.

I know, I know - it's tough to look at this photo without getting a lump in your throat.

Yyeeeeeeeeooooooowwwww!

We do stop eventually.